Episode 253 - Sarah Brittelle - Integrity Over Hype: Building An Organic Skincare Business That Lasts

What if the skincare that finally calmed your child’s eczema became the spark for a purpose-led business? That’s Sarah Brittelle's story—an honest, ground-up journey from a kitchen shea butter blend to a community-backed organic skincare line that keeps integrity front and center. We talk about the real work behind “clean beauty”: sourcing ingredients you can stand behind, pricing with empathy, and surviving the unglamorous parts like melt-prone shipping, insulated boxes, and dry ice experiments that saved the product but smudged the labels. We also dive into the human side of building something that lasts. Sarah shares how motherhood, grief, and growth shaped her pace—and why embracing seasons, not hustle, keeps her business healthy. She explains why she created a discovery kit that teaches a usable routine, how her designer husband’s clear labels improve outcomes, and why she draws firm lines around products that belong in labs or require FDA approval. Saying no to sunscreen or mascara isn’t a limitation; it’s a promise to protect safety, quality, and trust. Community is the quiet engine here. Made Mercantile in downtown Woodstock gives Sarah workspace, a storefront, and live customer feedback, while Gather and Bloom expands her reach to a different audience. That maker ecosystem fuels better packaging, smarter pricing, and moral support when the calendar tilts into holiday chaos. Through it all, Sarah’s compass stays steady: help people, use truly organic inputs, keep prices fair, and build a brand her daughters can be proud of. If you care about real organic skincare, small-batch craftsmanship, and the mindset that outlasts trends, you’ll feel right at home. Subscribe, share this with a friend who’s hunting for honest skincare, and leave a review with one takeaway you’ll apply this week. Your support helps more makers with integrity get heard. Music "STOMP" used by permission of artist Donica Knight Holdman and Jim Huff